No Fiji Blood

He’S Fijian, But With

LEC ROCK is a well-known Fijian who holds the guardianship of the holiday house “Vale Vula Vula’’ on Korotogo Beach, Viti Leva, the popular retreat of the harassed hierarchy of the “Pacific Islands Monthly” and “The Fiji Times”.

One of the remarkable things about Alec is that he has no Fiji blood in him at all. His father, Mali Rock (or “Roko”) was a recruit or “blackbird” shipped from the New Hebrides about 1900 for the Fijian Government.

Moli married at Levuka, his bride being Akata of the Gilbert Islands who is said to have had a German father.

They had a family of six, of whom Alec, the third son, was born on May 18, 1910.

All the family attended the Catholic school at Levuka.

Alec’s father died in 1924, and Alec moved to Viti Leva in 1935, working for the Public Works Department as a carpenter. About this time he married a Fijian girl, but the marriage finally broke up, leaving three boys and a girl to be brought up by Alec’s sister.

From 1942 to 1946 Alec was in the 4th Battalion, which did not serve overseas. After the war he worked for a Mr.

Smith as a carpenter, and in 1964 he was employed on “Vale Vula Vula” during its rebuilding.

He was later given the post of caretaker which he still holds, giving reliable and loyal service through the years.

His post, which involves taking care of a series of honoured guests, calls for his natural gift of diplomacy.

Brett Milder.

-A Brett Hilder profile-